Q. Why are there no traffic signs in the Kirkwood subdivision off Carolina Beach Road? There is one sign as you enter that says slow children at play but no stop signs or yield signs on any roads.

A. It’s complicated.

Kirkwood does have stop signs, said Jerry Barnes, the association manager for Community Solution Southeast, Kirkwood’s management company.

If there is a need to replace any signs, Barnes said residents can contact the management company directly.

Barnes said it is possible the questioner is actually referring to the Arrondale neighborhood, which fronts Carolina Beach Road and is directly in front of Kirkwood.

Sam Burgess, a senior New Hanover County planner, said the Arrondale development is separate from the Kirkwood development.

Work on Arrondale started around 1996 and 1997, he said. At the time, the developer committed to erecting traffic signs. Burgess said he could not say if the signs were ever installed. It is possible the signs were never installed, but it is also possible they were, but they fell victim to a hurricane or vandalism.

Burgess noted that the county is not responsible for road maintenance. He suggested contacting the N.C. Department of Transportation about the matter.

Anthony Law, the DOT’s district engineer for New Hanover County, said there are some roads in the Arrondale/Kirkwood neighborhoods that are not maintained by the state.

While some of those roads may be recorded as public roads, they will not be added to the state maintenance system unless they meet certain guidelines, Law said.

If the streets are not maintained by the state, traffic signs would be the responsibility of the development. If, indeed, the neighborhood is responsible for the signs, Burgess said they can contact a local sign company to perform the work.

If you are interesting in pursuing having the roads added to the state system, you can contact the DOT’s district office for New Hanover and Brunswick Counties at 910-251-2655.

Ask a question

If you’re looking for answers about living in coastal North Carolina, you’ve come to the right place.
If we don’t have the answer to your question, we’ll find out or try to find someone who does.
Hey, that’s our job! So, ask your question below and we’ll do our best to find
the answer. Once we do, we’ll post it in an appropriate category.

Your name

Your email address

Can we use your name to credit you by name (no e-mail or other contact information) with this question when we post an answer?
Yes

Talk to us!

Have a comment about this post or know more about the answer? Use this form to let us know.
Note that all comments are moderated and must be approved before they are posted, although you
may see your own comments the first time you post them.